New Aston Martin to be built abroad for the first time

Aston Martin is to build cars outside Britain for the first time in its 93-year history, reports the Telegraph.

The luxury motor manufacturer, synonymous with the James Bond films, is looking at sites in Italy, Germany, Austria and Finland to build its proposed four-door Rapide saloon next year rather than its own factory in Warwickshire.

A final decision is expected within the next few weeks from the owners, a consortium of Kuwaiti investors who bought the company from Ford earlier this year.

Moving abroad will be unprecedented for the marque, which is still most famous for providing models for 007 since the film Goldfinger in 1965, in which Sean Connery drove a sporty DB5.

But a shortlist of possible sites includes the Italian design house Pinanfarina, Germany's equally renowned Karmann group, Magna in Austria and Valmet in Finland, which builds the Porsche Boxster.

Aston Martin has refused to comment until a final decision is made.

The company's Gaydon car plant may be a victim of its own success.

It is now building and selling more cars than ever - 7,000 last year, a rise of 2,000 on the year before - and would struggle to find the capacity to manufacture a new model.

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